To: Allan D. Gilmour, President, Wayne State University, Robert Thomas, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Wayne State University Board of Governors
Save the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Wayne State University
We are in the midst of a powerful democratic awakening and we need your help as a leading voice for peace. The Center for Peace and Conflict Studies in Detroit is part of the Wayne State University, a major Carnegie Mellon research university in the cultural center of the city. We are now stewarding the 21st century facing great battles for our devastated inner city school systems, which experience a 50-75% dropout rate; the ravished environment; and the ravaged economy. We are literally asking our Wayne State University administration to “give peace a chance!”
The Center for Peace and Conflict Studies began in 1965 and forged peace education during the seismic social changes of the following decades. This program is the oldest of its kind, and it grew during the most challenging decades of social change for peace, women’s rights, civil rights, and the LBGT movement. Now we are another crucible for change. This Center for Peace and Conflict Studies teaches the tools for creating a more just society and beloved communities in a state that has been rated third in the number of hate groups in this country, and where hate crimes against LGBT individuals have been reported to have increased in 2010 (according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs). It was crucial in mediating life threatening conflict with Arab-American owned businesses in the neighboring township of Dearborn after 9/11, and continues to be crucial in educating against bullying in the schools and diminishing violence against youth. It is successful in its mission to “develop and implement projects, programs, curricula, research, and publications in areas of scholarship related to international and domestic peace, war, social justice, arms control, globalization, multicultural awareness, and constructive conflict resolution” and it is under threat of being closed by its own administration to serve the budget cuts.
We acknowledge that these are difficult times and that the administration must make difficult decisions. However we are confident that there are creative solutions for keeping the center open and we are mandating our administration to consider being flexible to those who are stepping up to the plate to create solutions for sustaining the operation of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies.
We implore this academic administration to engage in fruitful open negotiation as the Center's supporters bring forth resources and support, funds and fundraisers to meet this financial challenge.
The Center for Peace and Conflict Studies began in 1965 and forged peace education during the seismic social changes of the following decades. This program is the oldest of its kind, and it grew during the most challenging decades of social change for peace, women’s rights, civil rights, and the LBGT movement. Now we are another crucible for change. This Center for Peace and Conflict Studies teaches the tools for creating a more just society and beloved communities in a state that has been rated third in the number of hate groups in this country, and where hate crimes against LGBT individuals have been reported to have increased in 2010 (according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs). It was crucial in mediating life threatening conflict with Arab-American owned businesses in the neighboring township of Dearborn after 9/11, and continues to be crucial in educating against bullying in the schools and diminishing violence against youth. It is successful in its mission to “develop and implement projects, programs, curricula, research, and publications in areas of scholarship related to international and domestic peace, war, social justice, arms control, globalization, multicultural awareness, and constructive conflict resolution” and it is under threat of being closed by its own administration to serve the budget cuts.
We acknowledge that these are difficult times and that the administration must make difficult decisions. However we are confident that there are creative solutions for keeping the center open and we are mandating our administration to consider being flexible to those who are stepping up to the plate to create solutions for sustaining the operation of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies.
We implore this academic administration to engage in fruitful open negotiation as the Center's supporters bring forth resources and support, funds and fundraisers to meet this financial challenge.
Why is this important?
Detroit's Wayne State University President Allan D. Gilmour has moved to have the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies closed, with a final vote of the Board of Governors to be decided in December. The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (where the Center resides), Robert Thomas, has given a directive to have a formal annual commitment of $177,000 as a pre-condition to withdraw its request for closure by a self-defeating deadline of October 21, 2011. We are intent on taking a collective stand on the import of keeping the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies open.